Quote of the day: A great artist is always before his time or behind it. by George Edward Moore

Septimius Severus

Birthday of the day: Septimius Severus; Lucius Septimius Severus (11 April 145 – 4 February 211), commonly known as Septimius Severus or Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man, Severus advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of Emperor Pertinax in 193 during the so-called Year of the Five Emperors. After deposing the incumbent emperor Didius Julianus in a bloodless coup, Severus fought his rival claimants, the generals Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. Niger was defeated in 194 at the Battle of Issus, and Albinus three years later at the Battle of Lugdunum.

Joke of the day: The man charged into the jewelry shop, slammed his fists angrily on the showcase, removed a wristwatch from his pocket and shook it under the nose of the owner. ?You said this watch would last me a lifetime,? he yelled. ?Yeah,? admitted the owner. ?But you looked pretty sick the day you bought it.?

Thought of the day: The words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels.

Fact of the day: 491 – Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I.

Biography of the day: Dolley Madison; Dolley Madison (20 May 1768-12 July 1849), first lady, was born near Guilford, North Carolina, the daughter of John Payne, an unsuccessful merchant and planter, and Mary Coles. When Dolley was one year old the Paynes left North Carolina and moved back to rural eastern Virginia, settling with the Coles family. There she grew up in comfort; throughout her life she defined herself as a Virginian. Her family were Quakers, and in 1783 her father manumitted his slaves and moved his wife and eight children to Philadelphia. There he opened a starch business, which failed in 1789. His wife then supported the family by converting her home into a boardinghouse. Dolley Payne came of age during difficult years; she saw her father slide into debt, expelled from his Quaker congregation, and die a broken man, leaving her mother and her sisters in severely reduced circumstances.

Article of the day: 158th Boat Race; The 158th Boat Race, an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames, took place on 7 April 2012. Despite Cambridge having the heavier crew, Oxford (pictured after the race) were pre-race favourites after a successful preparation period, including a victory over Leander. Cambridge won the toss and chose to start on the Surrey side of the river. Partway through, with the boats level, the race was temporarily halted to avoid injury to a protester, Trenton Oldfield, who swam in front of the two crews. After the race was restarted, one of the Oxford crew suffered irreparable damage to his blade following a clash of oars with the Cambridge boat, ending Oxford’s chances of victory. The race was eventually won by Cambridge by four-and-a-quarter lengths, in a consolidated time of 17 minutes 23 seconds. Immediately after completing the race, a member of the Oxford crew collapsed, but later recovered. Oldfield was later jailed for six months for causing a public nuisance, and as a result of the disruption, security for subsequent Boat Races was increased.

Did you know: a) that in response to Pakistan banning Facebook after the Everybody Draw Mohammed Day controversy MillatFacebook was founded to cater primarily to Muslims? b) that a pioneer of the pre-war Czechoslovak swing music Jir? Traxler lives in Canada? c) that the cloth fibers in the casing of most bicycle tires are oriented diagonally, forming a bias ply? d) that the 1994 Nepalese legislative election saw the first democratically elected communist government in Asia come to power?